Valerian
Vladimirovich Sidamon-Eristavi

Born in the village of Kakheti Kvareli. He soon showed talent for drawing. In 1907 he was admitted to the Moscow school of painting, sculpture and architecture, where he studied for almost eight years. Among the teachers of the young artist were the leading Russian painters A. Arkhipov, A. Vasnetsov, N. Kasatkin. In 1915, Sidamon-Eristavi, after finishing his art education, he returned to Georgia. It is noteworthy that at this time, Georgia has developed a whole galaxy of young artists who sought, using the most interesting discoveries of art of the early XX century to create a national content and form of the painting. At first, Sidamon-Eristavi settled in his native Kakheti, earning a living by teaching drawing, then moved to Tbilisi, where he takes an active part in the activities of the society of Georgian artists. The artist works in the newspaper "Sakartvelo", which regularly published his drawings (caricatures, genre scenes, allegorical and historical compositions); in 1922, prepares the play "Sheep source" in the theater. Rustaveli. This show, originally produced by the outstanding Director K. Mardzhanishvili, became a landmark event in the history of Georgian theatre.